Jean-Luc Picard
Jean-Luc Picard is one of the best-known Starfleet officers of the 24th century, famous for his service as Captain of the starships ''Enterprise''-D and ''Enterprise''-E. Early life and the Academy Picard was born in La Barre, France, European Alliance on Earth on July 13th, 2305. As a child, he dreamed of adventure and exploration and caused "quite a stir" by leaving his family's generational vineyard and applying to Starfleet Academy. Although he failed to gain entry on his first attempt, he succeeded in his second attempt in 2323. Picard subsequently became one of the most outstanding cadets in his class. (TNG: "The First Duty") Picard's career at the Academy was difficult, at best — years later, Picard would credit Academy groundskeeper Boothby with helping him develop a mature attitude. (See also: A.F.) Among Picard's friends at the Academy were Donald Varley, Cortin Zweller and Marta Batanides. Early Starfleet career Shortly after graduation in 2327, Picard's promising career nearly ended abruptly during a layover at Starbase Earhart. During a bar brawl over a rigged game of dom-jot, he was stabbed through the heart by a Nausicaan, and had to undergo emergency surgery to replace his heart. (TNG: "Tapestry") In a scene cut from TNG: "The Measure of a Man", Admiral Nakamura, recalled during his lieutenancy, serving aboard the [[USS Reliant|USS ''Reliant]] with the newly assigned Ensign Picard.'' As a junior officer, Picard was the closest of friends with Walker Keel, and also became friends with Jack Crusher and his fiancé Beverly Howard. (TNG: "Journey's End") Picard was assigned as a flight controller aboard the [[USS Stargazer|USS Stargazer]]. In 2333, as a lieutenant commander, he assumed command of the vessel when the captain was killed on the bridge. Starfleet awarded him a promotion to the post of captain — making him one of the youngest Starfleet officers ever to attain the position. Picard remained in command of the Stargazer for twenty-two years. It is not clear if Picard was promoted directly to captain, or if he was promoted to full commander but assigned a captain's responsibilities, and then promoted to the higher grade later. The latter seems more likely. In 2342, Picard dated with a young woman called Jenice at the Café des Artistes in Paris. However, he became afraid of a possible future relationship and posted Jenice, who later married Paul Manheim. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris") In 2355, the Stargazer was seriously damaged in a battle with an unknown enemy vessel, later discovered to be a Ferengi ship. Picard managed to destroy the enemy ship, but was forced to abandon the Stargazer. His actions during the battle where called into question by Starfleet prosecutor Phillipa Louvois, but he was exonerated by the inquiry board. (TNG: "The Battle", "The Measure of a Man") Aboard the USS Enterprise The USS Enterprise-D In 2364, Picard was assigned command of the newly-commissioned ''Galaxy''-class ''Enterprise''-D, the most prestigious captaincy in Starfleet. He commanded the ship for seven years, participating in many important missions. Among these were the defeat of the Borg invasions of 2366 and 2369, and his command of the fleet which blockaded the Klingon-Romulan border during the Klingon Civil War. Picard hand-picked most of his senior staff, such as two young officers who impressed him enough upon first meeting: Geordi La Forge once piloted his inspection tour shuttle and stayed up all night to refit an engine part Picard had made a passing comment on, and he witnessed Natasha Yar risk her life to save colonists amid a Carnelian mine field. He had also picked William T. Riker as his first officer and promoted him to commander sight unseen, impressed by the young officer's record of independence. Mere months after taking command, Picard was offered a promotion to commandant of Starfleet Academy and the rank of admiral by Admiral Quinn, but turned it down to retain command of the Enterprise. (TNG: "Coming of Age") Conflicts with the Prime Directive Although Picard often heatedly defended a strict interpretation of the Prime Directive, he has broken it numerous times when he felt it was warranted. Thus, in 2364, he allowed an Edo woman to confront her "god" from space, and in 2366, Picard brought a Mintakan leader aboard the Enterprise so as to undo the damage done by cultural contamination. (TNG: "Justice", "Who Watches the Watchers?") Medical record Picard always remained in excellent health thanks to a regimen carried over from his days as an athlete. Despite his captaincy of the Enterprise, he still found time for fencing, racquetball and equine sports, usually by holodeck. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris", "Suddenly Human") Nevertheless, Picard did show a tendency for overwork, avoided formal vacations, and has reported bouts of insomnia. (TNG: "Captain's Holiday") Additionally, he usually tried to avoid his annual physicals, to great irritation of Dr. Crusher. (TNG: "Allegiance") Owing to a fatal stabbing through the heart in 2328, a cardiac device later found to be defective was implanted to save his life. The unit required replacement when it malfunctioned in 2365, overseen at Starbase 212 by Dr. Katherine Pulaski. (TNG: "Samaritan Snare") Four years later, the unit was damaged and again replaced following a near-fatal Lenarian compressed tetryon weaponry attack. (TNG: "Tapestry") Following his assimilation by the Borg in 2366, Picard was formerly declared dead as a casualty of war by Admiral J.P. Hanson. The ruling was rescinded six days later when Picard was recaptured by the crew of the Enterprise. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds") Along with the phsysical recovery, the invasive incident took an enormous emotional toll and required several weeks of counseling. Picard underwent similar, though less lengthy recuperation following his capture and torture by Cardassians in 2369. (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I") The USS Enterprise-E The Enterprise-D was destroyed in 2371 by a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Picard was offered command of the ''Sovereign''-class [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]]. He appointed the Enterprise-D's entire senior staff to the ship. After a one-year shakedown cruise, the Enterprise-E's first mission involved yet another Borg encounter. Picard was instrumental in defeating both the main invasion and an attempt by the Borg to prevent the formation of the Federation by altering history. (Star Trek: First Contact) Later, Captain Picard traveled to the Ba'ku homeworld in the Briar Patch when it appeared that his operations officer, Lt. commander Data, had malfunctioned and assaulted members of the research team there. Picard was able to capture Data, and uncovered a plot by Admiral Matthew Dougherty and some in the Federation Council to relocate the Ba'ku against their will. Picard rebelled against Dougherty, bringing word of his actions to the public. (Star Trek: Insurrection) Picard continued in command of the Enterprise through 2379, when the ship was sent to Romulus after the coup by Shinzon. Shinzon was a clone of Picard created by a former Romulan government - they intended to replace the captain with a spy of their own. Following a change of government, the plan was abandoned and Shinzon was sent to Remus to die. Instead he prospered, becoming a highly successful leader during the Dominion War. Shinzon used a thalaron radiation weapon to eradicate the Romulan Senate in 2379 and had planned to do the same to Earth. He needed Picard in order to repair faults in his own genetic makeup. In a pitched battle between the Enterprise and Shinzon's flagship the Scimitar, Picard was eventually able to board the enemy ship and eliminate Shinzon. Picard's life was saved by Data, who transported his captain back to the Enterprise before sacrificing his own life to destroy the Scimitar by firing on the thalaron weapon with a hand phaser. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Throughout his entire career, Jean-Luc Picard represented the Federation in first contact with 27 alien species. (Star Trek: Nemesis script) Personal interests Picard was something of a Renaissance man, with diverse intellectual interests. He had a lifelong interest in archaeology, inspired by his Academy instructor Professor Richard Galen. (TNG: "The Chase") He also had a deep love of literature, from the works of William Shakespeare to detective stories featuring Dixon Hill. After his experience with the Kataan probe, Picard began to play the Ressikan flute, and was good enough to perform works by Mozart. (TNG: "The Inner Light") However, his attempts at painting were less successful. (TNG: "A Matter of Perspective") Dixon Hill The character Dixon Hill was a 20th Century detective who first appeared in story, The Big Good-Bye, published on Earth in the pulp magazine Amazing Detective Stories, in 1934. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye", "The Emissary") Dixon Hill was a hero of Picard since he was a child. Fascinated by the two-fisted gumshoe, he programmed a holodeck simulation of the character. He was able to explore his fascination with Dixon Hill following the upgrade of the Enterprise-D holodecks in 2364. When Picard first entered the world of Dixon Hill, a holodeck malfunction led to an override of safety protocols. Picard, Dr. Beverly Crusher, historical Whalen and Mr. Data were soon caught up in a real case where the consequences could prove fatal indeed. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye) In 2365, Picard once again took the role of Dixon Hill, again accompanied by Mr. Data, in order to flee Lwaxana Troi's manhunt. Lwaxana, however, eventually located him, but became infatuated with the holographic bartender Rex. (TNG: "Manhunt) In 2367, Picard introduced Guinan to the Dixon Hill program, where she played his cousin Gloria. Guinan, however, was not impressed. (TNG: "Clues") In 2373, aboard the ''Enterprise''-E, Picard accessed the program with Lily Sloane, in order to escape Borg pursuit. Disengaging the safety protocols, Picard was able to kill the Borg using a Thompson submachine gun. (Star Trek: First Contact) Ressikan flute In 2368 Picard acquired a Ressikan flute through an experience he had related to a probe lanched from the dead planet. Picard knew how to play the flute, as all the memories of a man named Kamin had been planted in his memory through the probe. Among the memories was the ablilty to play the flute. (TNG: "The Inner Light") Picard consideréd the flute to be one of his most prized posessions. It represented, to him, an entire lifetime he lived in only 25 minutes. As of 2379, Picard kept the flute on his desk in his ready room aboard the ''Enterprise''. (TNG: "Lessons", Star Trek: Nemesis) Personal relationships Family Picard has "never been a family man", and was thus long uncomfortable with the presence of children aboard the ''Galaxy''-class Enterprise. The orphaned son of Lieutenant Marla Aster again raised his concern about the vessel's civilian family contingent, although his unease with children has dissipated since being stranded with three youths during a shipboard quantum filament crisis. (TNG: "The Bonding", "Disaster") His initial reaction to family is also reflected in the friction with his father and, later, his older brother over leaving the family business. (TNG: "Family") Upon the sudden accidental deaths of his brother Robert and his newphew René, the issue of lineage and Picard's lack of offspring caused a sustained yet brief period of depression. (Star Trek: Generations) Beverly Crusher Beverly and Jean-Luc maintained a close friendship while serving on the Enterprise-D, usually sharing their morning meal together. Beverly usually tried to serve a new and exotic food, although both she and Jean-Luc both preferred something simple. (TNG: "QPid," "The Perfect Mate," "The Chase," "Attached") Their relationship stayed platonic for the most part. They considered one another close friends, and would give each other advice when dealing with difficult decisions. While Beverly was in anguish over Odan's failing health while the symbiont was in Will Riker's body, Jean-Luc gave her a hug, and assured her that he would always be her friend and be willing to help her any way he could. (TNG: "The Host") Beverly's anger over the treatment of Kamala led to Picard spending time with her, where he quickly learned that he was falling for the metamorph. Beverly did not know what to say, but reciprocated the emotional support he had offered the year prior. (TNG: "The Perfect Mate") Picard tried to make Crusher realize that the deaths of Jo'Bril and later Reyga were not her fault and that she should not try to rush her investigation. Beverly was too upset and preoccupied to understand his words, and Jean-Luc was extremely disappointed when she broke the Prime Directive and performed an autopsy on Reyga. (TNG: "Suspicions") Picard knew that Crusher's odd decisions after meeting Ronin were not normal and confronted her on Caldos colony. Although Beverly initially resisted his demands for an explanation, she broke free of Ronin's influence after he attacked Picard. (TNG: "Sub Rosa") Early on, Beverly and Jean-Luc experienced several romantically close calls. Once was under the influence of the Psi 2000 intoxication, where Crusher flirted with Picard and attempted to seduce him on the bridge of the Enterprise. (TNG: "The Naked Now") Crusher seemed hopeful for some time alone with Picard in the Dixon Hill holodeck simulation, but Picard seemed oblivious to her and invited Data and Whalen as well, much to Beverly's dismay. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye") Commander Dexter Remmick interrogated Crusher about Captain Picard in mid-2364 and questioned her about her true feelings towards Picard. Beverly refused to answer, claiming that they were irrelevant to the operation of the ship. (TNG: "Coming of Age") In 2366, a duplicate of Picard replaced the captain in order to learn about human relationships. It invited Crusher to dinner, where the two had a romantic evening including dancing. However, once the duplicate had enough information, it unceremoniously bade Crusher farewell. She teasingly held the real Picard responsible for his duplicate's actions when he was returned to the Enterprise. (TNG: "Allegiance") Several times, Beverly began to explain her true feelings to Jean-Luc, once while they were held captive on Rutia (TNG: "The High Ground") and another time with Picard's duplicate in the warp bubble universe (TNG: "Remember Me") but she was interrupted in both instances. Both also displayed some jealousy when the other found a love interest, such as Crusher with Ambassador Odan (TNG: "The Host") or Picard with Jenice Manheim (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris") and Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren. (TNG: "Lessons") In 2370, Picard and Crusher were taken captive on planet Kesprytt, and were linked together by psi-wave devices in order to decrease the odds of their escape. The devices transmitted their thoughts to one another, where they learned each others' most intimate secrets. Beverly stayed up one night to listen to Picard's dreams, and Picard discovered that Beverly usually always had some smart-aleck comment at the ready, although she had learned to repress the urge to say them out loud. One night, Beverly brought up Jack and feelings of guilt washed over Picard. She finally learned that he too, felt an attraction, but did not act on it out of respect for his dead friend. Once they returned to the Enterprise, Picard expressed desire to further their relationship. However, Beverly ultimately decided that she did not want to ruin their friendship or be placed in a conflict of interest, and they decided to remain mutual friends. (TNG: "Attached") The production staff kept Beverly and Jean-Luc from a serious romantic relationship to leave the captain free for possible movie storylines, such as that in ''Star Trek: Insurrection.'' Guinan .]] Guinan came aboard the ''Enterprise'' in 2365, at Picard's personal request. Guinan and Picard share a long-time relationship, which, according to her, goes "beyond friendship and beyond family". (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II") She also once said to Geordi La Forge that she is attracted to bald men. (TNG: "The Enemy") In 2367, Guinan featured as cousin Gloria in one of Picard's Dixon Hill holographic novels. She was not much impressed with the program. Nella Daren .]] In 2369, Lt. Commander Nella Daren came aboard the Enterprise to become head of the ship's Stellar Sciences department. In her new role, she was very forthright in her requests for ship resources to support her department's studies. Soon after coming aboard, she and Captain Picard met. A friendship quickly formed, based on their shared love for music. Daren accompanied the captain on a portable piano while he played the Ressikan flute. Their friendship soon blossomed into love. The crew reacted differently to Picard and Daren's romance: Deanna Troi was happy for Picard and gave her blessing; Beverly Crusher seemed jealous; and Riker felt that Daren was asking for special treatment because she was the captain's "girlfriend". When a firestorm threatened the Bersallis III Federation outpost, Daren suggested a plan to shield the outpost against the heat while the Enterprise evacuated the colonists. Eight crewmen lost their lives, but Daren survived. Afterwards, it became obvious to Picard and Daren that it would be extremely difficult to continue their relationship while serving on the same ship, thus Daren requested a transfer. As they said goodbye, they promised to keep seeing each other, but knew their relationship would never be the same. (TNG: "Lessons") William T. Riker .]] When choosing a first officer prior to the launch of the Enterprise in 2363, Captain Picard nearly passed over Riker's record. He stopped when he saw the incident with Captain DeSoto and Riker's refusal to allow the captain to beam down. This was a major factor in Picard's selection of Riker as his first officer. He was impressed that a first officer would challenge a captain's authority out of regard for the safety of the captain and the crew. (TNG: "The Pegasus") Captain Picard was very cold towards Riker during their first meeting, and ordered the manual docking as a test of Riker's abilities. When he performed the docking with great expertise and skill, Picard formally greeted Riker, requesting that his new first officer make sure that he not allow Picard to "make an ass of himself" in front of the many children aboard the ship. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint") One year later, Picard felt as if he had not done a good job of congratulating Riker, so he did it once more, this time making his feelings clear. (TNG: "The Icarus Factor") Eventually, Riker and Picard became very good friends. With the best of intentions, Riker suggested that Picard vacation at Risa in 2366, asking him to return a Horga'hn. Picard did not realize the history behind the statue and kept it with him after purchasing it for Riker, making it appear as if the captain was seeking jamaharon. (TNG: "Captain's Holiday") The only time Riker and Picard ever verbally fought in front of the Enterprise crew was in 2366 while under the influence of emotions projected by Ambassador Sarek, suffering from Bendii Syndrome. (TNG: "Sarek") Picard tried to counsel Riker when he was offered command of the USS Melbourne in 2366, reminding him that the Enterprise would continue without his presence and that officers like Shelby were very much as he was before he learned the lessons necessary for command of a starship. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I") Riker also came to Captain Picard for advice when Worf wanted his help with the hegh'bat (TNG: "Ethics") and when he struggled with a decision involving Soren. (TNG: "The Outcast") In early 2369, members of the Enterprise crew, including Picard, were "youthened" to preteens due to the effects of a molecular reversion field. Unfortunately, a group of Ferengi commandeered the Enterprise about that time. Believing Picard to be a child, he was confined to a classroom aboard the ship while Riker was held in the observation lounge. Picard threw a tantrum and demanded to see his "father," Riker. They pretended to be father and son in order for Picard to send a subliminal message to Riker, requesting access to the Enterprise main computer from the classroom. Picard, along with the other affected Enterprise crewmembers, were able to design a plan to retake the Enterprise from the Ferengi. (TNG: "Rascals") During the Pegasus incident of 2370, Picard tried to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ship's disappearance. He ran into many dead-ends as most records had been sealed, and had to use many favors in Starfleet Command to even get a look at the findings of the board convened to investigate the loss of the Pegasus. Riker would not divulge further information under the orders of Admiral Erik Pressman, and Picard reluctantly continued the search. He made it clear to Riker that he hoped he still placed the safety of the Enterprise as his top priority, and if Picard had found this to be untrue, he would reevaluate his trust in Riker. After the crisis was resolved, Picard visited Riker in the brig and returned him to duty aboard the Enterprise, understanding of Will's mistake in the past and satisfied that he had made the correct decisions in the present. (TNG: "The Pegasus") Picard served as Riker's best man during his wedding to Deanna Troi. He gave a toast to Riker, calling him his "trusted right arm" and lamenting his loss of a fine first officer. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Data From 2364 to 2371, Lt Cmdr Data was appointed as head of operations and the science officer when serving onboard the Enterprise-D and head of operations from 2372-2379 onboard to Enterprise-E. Data looked up to Captain Picard as something of a father figure throughout his service on the Enterprise''s D and E asking for his advice on numerous ocassions in his quest to become more human. Picard always gave Data advice whenever he could. Following Natasha Yar's death in 2364, Data was puzzled about her death thinking not about Tasha but rather how he would feel in her absence, thinking that he missed the purpose of her memorial but Picard assured him that he understood the purpose of the memorial perfectly. ''(TNG: "Skin of Evil") In 2365, Data's existence was threatened when Commander Bruce Maddox wished to disassemble and study Data to gain a better understanding of how his positronic brain functioned. Data refused to submit to Maddox's procedure, finding his research flawed but Maddox claimed that Data was property of Starfleet and therefore not a sentient being and as a result had no choice other to submit to the procedure. Captain Philippa Louvois supported Maddox's claim and Picard intervened by challenging their claim, saying that Data was indeed sentient and deserved the freedom to make his own decisions. He also said that Data represented an entire race and that forcing him to submit to Maddox's procedure is tantamount to slavery - strictly against Federation law. Ultimately, Louvois sided with Picard's standpoint and agreed that Data, android or not, was indeed sentient and entitled to the same rights as any other Starfleet officer. (TNG: "The Measure of a Man") In 2367, Picard's seemingly unbreakable trust in Data was tested when Data refused to fully co-operate in an investigation into a number of events that happened within a 24-hour timespan although Data claimed that the timespan was only thirty seconds. Data's intransigence threatened to end his Starfleet career and even his own existence but it was later revealed that Captain Picard was himself responsible for Data's unusual behaviour after an encounter with the Paxans in a T-Tauri class star system. (TNG: "Clues") Later that year when Data engaged in a romantic relationship with Lt Jenna D'Sora, Picard was unable to give Data any advice on romantic relationships. (TNG: "In Theory") During the Klingon Civil War from 2367-8, the Federation made an indirect intervention with a blockade of Starfleet vessels placed in formation to use the pioneering tachyon detection grid in an effort to expose Romulan support for the House of Duras. Picard assigned all of his senior officers positions onboard other ships except for Data. Data questioned Picard about why he was not assigned command of a vessel considering that there was a severe lack of senior officers available for the mission, wondering if he felt that his being an android made him unsuitable for command. Picard, slightly embarrassed by Data's question, assigned Data command of the USS Sutherland. During the blockade Data disobeyed direct orders from Captain Picard and was able to expose the Romulan's involvement in the Civil War. Data wished to submit himself for disciplinary action for disobeying a direct order from his superior officer but Picard praised Data for not following his orders as he believed that doing so was appropriate under the circumstances. (TNG: "Redemption, Part II") In 2369, Data refused to allow a group of exocomps to be sacrificed in order to save the lives of Captain Picard and Lt Cmdr Geordi La Forge, who were trapped onboard the Particle Fountain Project space station, believing that they were sentient and therefore capable of making their own decisions. After agreeing to a compromise suggested by Commander Riker, the exocomps were released and able to save the lives of Picard and Geordi. Picard understood the predicament that Data was faced with as he had defended Data's sentience just a few years previously but this time the exocomps had no advocate and Data felt compelled to act on their behalf. Picard considered Data's actions to be the most "human" decision that he had ever made. (TNG: "The Quality of Life") Later that year, following an accident in Main engineering that activated a dormant program in his positronic brain, Data sought advice from several officers, including Captain Picard, on his "visions". Picard was curious why Data was studying thousands of different cultures to interpret his visions. Data said that he had no culture of his own but Picard told Data that he did have a culture - a culture of one and that its validity is no less than that of a billion. Picard suggested that Data should consider what the visions meant to him instead of what they mean to other people. (TNG: "Birthright, Part I") After a malfunctioning emotion chip fused with Data's positronic net in 2371, Data felt guilty for not saving Geordi from capture by Tolian Soran onboard the Amargosa observatory. Data was overwhelmed by emotions and requested being shut down until the chip could be removed. Although Picard felt sympathy for Data, he told him that part of having emotions is integrating them into your life and learning to live with them and denied Data his request. ("Star Trek: Generations") Following the wedding of Will Riker and Deanna Troi in 2379, Data was confused at Captain Picard's mixed feelings for the couple - although the Captain was happy that Will was due to accept promotion to the rank of Captain and take command of the USS Titan and that his new wife was to transfer over to the Titan and take position as the ship's Counselor, Picard was somewhat saddened by their departure and tried to explain to Data that experiencing feelings of both happiness and sadness at the same time are common in these situations. ("Star Trek: Nemesis") Worf By 2364, Worf, ranking lieutenant junior grade, was serving on the ''Enterprise'' as a junior bridge officer under the command of Captain Picard. Upon the death of Lieutenant Yar, he was promoted to chief tactical officer and security chief. (TNG: "The Child") When the Klingon Civil War erupted in 2367, Worf resigned from Starfleet and fought on the side of Gowron against the forces of the Duras family. With the help of Picard, Worf and other Gowron supporters revealed Romulan assistance to the Duras cause. This collapsed support for the House of Duras, and Gowron won the chancellorship. Gowron restored the honor of the House of Mogh in thanks for its assistance during the war. Worf returned to Starfleet without incident. (TNG: "Redemption, Part I", "Redemption, Part II") Worf commanded the [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS Defiant]] in the battle against the Borg at Sector 001, and fought the Borg temporal incursion into 2063. While Picard had called Worf a "coward" for not wanting to continue fighting the Borg aboard the Enterprise, Picard later admitted that Worf was "the bravest man" he had even known. For a brief period in 2375, Worf rejoined his old crew to reveal Admiral Dougherty's conspiracy concerning the Ba'ku relocation. (Star Trek: Insurrection) In 2379, he attended the wedding ceremony of William Riker and Deanna Troi. En route to Betazed aboard the Enterprise, the crew was assigned to Romulus to begin peace negotiations with the new praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, Shinzon. The peace offer turned out to be a trap and in the end Worf, together with the Romulans, had to face Shinzon and the Remans. Finally, he admitted that the Romulans fought with honor, possibly getting over his life-long grudge against this species. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Alternate timelines In 2366, the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C)|USS Enterprise-C]] emerged from a temporal rift. Its disappearance from the year 2344 caused an altered timeline, where the Federation was losing a war against the Klingons. Picard was still the ship's commanding officer, though more toughened due to the horrors of war. Upon Guinan's advice, Picard decided to send the Enterprise back to the past. After Captain Rachel Garrett was killed during Klingon attack, Picard allowed Richard Castillo to assume command and return the Enterprise-C to 2344. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise") Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure which caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities in 2370. In several universes, Picard was still Enterprise captain, and attended a surprise birthday party for Worf, though his services were stated to be required on the bridge. In the final universe in which Worf arrived, Riker was the captain, as Picard was lost in the Borg encounter of 2367. In another reality, the Borg had invaded the Federation and the Enterprise was one of the few ships left. All the events following Worf's encounter were erased from the timeline once the fissure was sealed. (TNG: "Parallels") In Q's anti-time present, Picard was diagnosed with Irumodic syndrome by Dr. Crusher. This caused her to reconsider her relationship with Jean-Luc, and she reversed her earlier decision to remain just friends. These events were eradicated from the timeline following the collapse of the anomaly, and it is unknown if they transpired in the "true" timeline. In the anti-time future, Picard found himself at his family's vineyard with Geordi La Forge in the year 2395. Picard contacted Riker, now admiral and commanding officer of Starbase 247, for help in investigating the anomaly, but Riker refused to allow him passage to the Neutral Zone, thinking Picard had been affected by his Irumodic syndrome and was delusional. Later, Picard convinced his ex-wife, Beverly Picard, to take her medical ship, the ''Pasteur'' to investigate the anomaly. The Pasteur was attacked and destroyed by Klingon battleships, but the Enterprise, under command of Admiral Riker, arrived to rescue the crew and fight off the Klingons. Picard once again pleaded with Riker to return to the Devron system, but he was then sedated and returned to quarters. Armed with new information gathered from the other two timeframes, Picard woke and went to talk to Riker and the other former Enterprise officers. He convinced them that the anomaly existed, and the Enterprise returned just in time to watch it form. Riker ordered the Enterprise into the anomaly, where it used a static warp shell in concert with the other Enterprises to collapse it. After the anomaly was sealed, the timelines were erased and only Picard retained memory of those events. He told his staff of his experiences in the future, in hopes that things such as the conflict between Worf and Riker never happen. (TNG: "All Good Things...") Miscellaneous information Picard's Starfleet serial number is SP 937-215. His quarters on the Enterprise-D were on Deck 9, room 3601. Philosophically, Picard saw life and death as more than two choices of eternal or momentary existence. In fact, he believed there was another concept yet beyond human understanding due to the marvellous complexity and the clockwork precision of the universe. (TNG: "Lonely Among Us") In 2364, confronted by the Q entity, Picard quotes from Shakespeare: "What a piece of work is man? Now noble in reason? How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel in apprehension, how like a god..." Upon Q's interruption that surely he does not see humanity like that, Picard answers that this is how he sees humanity of one day becoming. (TNG: "Hide and Q") In Picard's opinion, genetic engineering with its predetermination robs humanity of the unknown factor that makes life worth living. (TNG: "The Masterpiece Society") Picard's command authorization code in 2373 was "Picard-4-7-alpha-tango". (Star Trek: First Contact) Chronology ;2305: Born in La Barre, France, on Earth. ;2322: Applied to Starfleet Academy for the first time and was rejected. ;2323: Admitted to Starfleet Academy. ;2327: Graduated Starfleet Academy and had to be implanted with an artificial heart after a fight with a Nausicaan. ;2333: Assumed command of the ''Constellation''-class starship [[USS Stargazer|USS Stargazer]]. ;2355: Participated in the Battle of Maxia against a Ferengi vessel. Picard invented a new tactical ploy to win the battle, later dubbed the "Picard Maneuver". ;2364: Assumed command of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]]. His first mission as captain involved contact with the Q entity. ;2366: Captured by the Borg and forced to become a member of the Borg collective, leading the invasion of the Federation as Locutus of Borg. This included leading the Borg victory over the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359. Despite Borg control over him, Picard managed to relay information to the crew of the Enterprise which allowed the Borg to be defeated. ;2367: Prevented an attempt by the Romulans to take over the Klingon Empire by indirectly interfering in the Klingon Civil War. ;2369: Discovered an ancient message left by the first humanoid beings in our galaxy. ;2370: Blighted the second Borg invasion of the Federation, led by individualized Borg drones under the Soong-type android Lore. ;2371: The Enterprise is destroyed over Veridian III. ;2372: Assigned command of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]]. ;2373: Traveled back in time to 2063 in order to defeat an attempt by the Borg to create an alternate timeline in which the Federation is never created. ;2375: Rebeled against Starfleet Admiral Dougherty in order to protect the Ba'ku. ;2379: Traveled to Romulus to meet Praetor Shinzon, a clone of himself. Killed Shinzon during the battle with the Scimitar. Background information The original casting call sent out to agents asked for the following: CAPT. Julien Picard - A caucasion man in his 50s who is very youthful and in prime physical condition. Born in Paris, his gallic accent appears when deep emotions are triggered. He is definitely a 'romantic' and believes strongly in concepts like honour and duty. Capt. Picard commands the Enterprise. He should have a mid-Atlantic accent, and a wonderfully rich speaking voice. Additional references *TNG: ** "Encounter at Farpoint" ** "The Chase" ** "Descent, Part II" *DS9: ** "Emissary" ** "Q-Less" ** "The Way of the Warrior" ** "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River" *VOY: ** "Scorpion, Part I" de:Jean-Luc Picard nl:Jean-Luc Picard Picard, Jean-Luc